19.08.24

An update from the WildFish legal team

2 minute read / Guy Linley-Adams and Justin Neal
 
Share
  • Wildfish
  • Wildfish
  • Wildfish
  • Wildfish

Everything we do is grounded in science and the law. Here is an update from our legal team – who have had a very busy August so far. 

For our campaign to end open-net salmon farming in Scotland, we have launched an appeal against the decision of Defra to allow the Scottish salmon farming industry to change the Protected Geographical Indication name for its products from “Scottish farmed salmon” to just “Scottish salmon”. We regard this as just another step in the greenwashing exercise being conducted by the industry. This sits alongside our formal complaint to the Competitions and Markets Authority about that industry’s claims of sustainability.

Also this month, we are in formal legal correspondence with the Welsh Government concerning the potential for by-catch of protected salmonid species from Welsh rivers in Welsh coastal nets. We are assessing whether to take this matter to Court.

Across our campaigns, we have made formal referrals to the Information Commissioner on several other matters to do with the certification of salmon farms in Scotland and access to pesticide use records in England and Wales in catchments where SmartRivers volunteers have picked up chemical pollution signatures.

Last but certainly not least, we have been busy looking at water resources – watch this space for news on Water Resources Management Plans. Also, in light of the new Government’s building plans, we are looking closely at whether sewage treatment capacity and water resources availability are properly taken into consideration when planning permissions are granted for new developments.

By: Guy Linley-Adams and Justin Neal
WildFish Solicitors
 
Leave a comment

Related articles

 

Legal Update – September 2025

The legal team has been very busy in the last two months, with one case in preparation for the High Court and two pending in th...
Read More

Shifting baselines: Have we forgotten what rivers used to be like?

Shifting baseline syndrome (SBS) erodes our connection to the natural world. With each generation, we come to accept a little l...
Read More

The Cunliffe Independent Water Commission Report – lots of ‘steam’ or sensible review?

So, Sir John had his day at the Steam Museum in Brentford announcing the release of his report. And, as per last week’s leak...
Read More

Support Us

Support like yours allows our determined campaigning team to fight the destruction caused by open-net salmon farming, pollution and over-abstraction

Find out more

Find out about all the ways in which you can help wild fish…